The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-29
SHEKBLS FOB The STATES
KNOCKED INTO A Cooked HAT
BY IA DECISION OF
Secretary Lamar In the Claim OF
Kansas for Proceeds OF Pablo
Land Sales.
THE OPINION ADVERSE TO FOR
MER ADMINISTRATIONS,
And of Great Moment to States Ad
mitted Into the Uni1n
Since 1857.

WASHINGTON, June 2S-The Score.
tary of the Interior to-day decided ad
versely the calm of the State of Kan
Eas, under the act of January go, 1851
admitting her into the Union, to $4S,
700, being five per cent. of the mel
proceeds of the eales of certain lands
made between July l, 1884, and June
3, 1885, heretofore reserved for the
Cherokee, Kansas, Miami aud o age
tribes Of Indians. The third section
OF the compact admitting Kansas into
the Union provided that five per
eentum of the net proceeds OF sales of
public lands lying within the State
which shall be sold by Congress after
the admission of the State into the
Union, after deiuctinS eli expenses
incident to the same, shall be paid to
the State for the purpose OF making
public roads, ETC., as the Legislatpr re
may direct. At that time there was a
large quantity Of laud held by the
tribes named shove by their title Of
occupancy. The lands were subse-
quently coded to the United States for
the purpose of being sold aud the
proceeds deposited in the Treasury
for the benefit OF these Indians. The
question at issue was whether the
lands were "public" lands in the
sense in which the word was used in
the act quoted above.
Upon this question the Secretary de-
cidee in the negative and holds that no
such sale as contemplated by the act
has taken place; the United States
never having received in its own right
the proceeds Of the sale of these lands,
it is therefore powerless to sppropri-
ate any portion thereof to satisfy the
claim Of the State. The Secretary in
this decision overruled the termer &C.
ton of the Interior Depar iment,
whereby similar accounts, sggrsgating
something over half million dollars
have been certified to ard paid to the
State by the Treasury every year since
1861. II is stated that claims similar
in character have been recognized and
paid to several OF the States since 1919
It is intlmsted that the State of Kan
sas will probably apply to the United
States Supreme Court for mandamus
to compel the Commissioner of the
General Land Office to certify the
claim to the First Comptroller OF the
Treasury for payment, which will
raise the question of the rights Of the
State in the premises. This decision
will affect all States admitted to the
Union since 1857, having Indian
lands.
MAJ. RUNKLR RESTORED.
An order was issued from the War
Department today, by direction of the
President, restoring to the army Maj.
Benjamin p. Runkle, retired, who was
dropped upon the judgment of the
Court Of Claims. This judgment was
reversed by the United States Supreme
Court, May q, 1887. He will be borne
upon the rolls of the army as never
having been legally separated from
the army.
CAN'T CRATE ON TIE FOURTH.
Gen. Black, Commissioner OF PEN
sicns, has been compelled to decline
the invitation OF the Hendricks Dam
ocratic Association OF st. Louis to de-
liver the Fourth of July address at its
Forrest Park celebration on account of
. prior engagement to speak at Tam
many Hall banquet in New York on
the same date.
THE FIDELITY's RECEIVER.
Acting Comptroller Abrahams to-
day announced that David Armstrong,
Of Jackson, o., has been appointed re-
ceiver Of the Fidelity National Bank
OF Cincinnati, o the appointment to
take effect from the 9th inst.
WORKINGS OF THE YEAR.
A statement juet issued by the Blu.
resu of Statistics gives some interest
ing features Of the workings of the
year which ends with this month. As |
everybody knows, the Governments |
year ends and begins Just in the mid |
die of the peoples year. This seems
little odd, but Il has been found ad- |
gisable in the practical workings Of |
the Governments machinery. Con-
gress, when 1t meets in December,
naturally wants to know something |
about the workings Of the Govern
ment's machinery. If the 6scal year
ended with the calendar year, 1t would
be impossible to give Congress any in
formation, in satisfactory form at
least, about the work Of the year in
which 1t meets until after it had been
in session some months, for it takes
probably two months after the year
has closed to get the reports Of the va
n0us officers together and compile q
statement of the facts contained in
them.
So the close OF the present month
will bring the close OF the present
year for the Government. As stated
above, some weeks will pass after the
close Of the year before the exact fig
ures Of the years accomplishments
will be had, but from the figures al
ready published and comparison of
them with the work OF the preceding
months and years, pretty good idea
vi the results oi the year may 10 hsG,
at this distance from its ending. The
showing with reference to our COM
merce with the world Is better than
that Of last year. Indications now are
that the importations OF the year
will amount TO $500, 000,0 600 in value,
q larger sum than at any lime since
1882. The expoats OF the year will
amount TO about 1920, 000, 900, leaving
9 balance OF about $50, 900, 600 in our
AnNOAs VI th0 tOOO,OOOiOOO Va AuupOAtci |
over $3.50, 100000 came throug III the
port of New York. OF the balance,
Boston got $60OO0,OOO Philadelphia,
$40, 000, 600, and San Francisco, Al,-
000, 900. OF the exports, $3.50, 000, 900
were sent out through the port OF New
York, the balance being distributed
among over fifty ports.
The exports OF gold coin and bull
lion during the year will be very
small, only $1O,OOO,000 against $50, 0O0,-
600 last year. OF the silver the ex-
ports will be about $25, 100000 against
$50, 600, 600 last year. In imports Of
coin and bullion the tide has been in
our favor, for the amount OF gold inn
ported will be about S43,0O00OO
against $20,00O,0OO the preceding
year, and of silver about the same
amount as last year, $Is,0O0,O00 {
The exports Of merchandise for the 9
year are not 30 large as might be I